She moaned in protest, the warmth of him gone, but he stripped off his clothes so quickly and rejoined her to pull her again into his arms and wrench the covers over them.
At once she snuggled against his chest, breathing in his masculine scent even as he chuckled again.
“Och, woman, you made me forget tae stoke the fire.”
He shifted as if to leave her, but Magdalene clung to him and pressed a kiss above his heart, making him groan against her hair.
“Very well, then, we’ll have tae keep each other warm.”
“Aye, Gabriel, dinna leave me.” She pressed another lingering kiss there, his heartbeat strong and fierce against her lips…and she knew then that she loved him.
Loved him!
“I’ll never leave you, wife, not of my own doing. Rest now, Magdalene. Dawn will be upon us soon.”
She scarcely heard him, the steady cadence of his breathing and the low drumming of his heart lulling her into sleep.
Chapter 19
Magdalene leaned closer against Gabriel, his hard leather armor reminding her of her first journey with him from the convent to MacLachlan Castle.
Yet how much had changed since then! Instead of feeling sore from resisting him, she felt comforted by his armor—and protected.
One powerful arm around her waist, his fingers splayed upon her stomach, while he ably steered his mount with his other hand.
Several hours had passed since they had left at the pale light of dawn. His three captains rode directly behind them, followed by sixty warriors, some on horseback, some marching, while at the rear rumbled two horse-drawn carts loaded with supplies.
At least that many men remained behind to guard the castle, Finlay saluting them with his sword as they had ridden out from the bailey. Gabriel had whispered in her ear that he had chosen his cousin to command the rest of his men in his absence, though Magdalene had sensed the russet-haired giant would rather have accompanied them.
When she had passed by him in the bailey, Gabriel leading her by the hand to mount his magnificent steed, Finlay had stepped back as if thinking she might try to kick him.
Och, she felt terrible for the pain she had cost him! She had wanted to tell him as much, too, but Gabriel had made a startling request earlier that morning when he had gently shaken her out of a deep slumber.
She noticed at once that he was already fully dressed and wearing armor, which made her realize he must have been up for some time and had come at the last moment to wake her.
Fortunately she had packed for the journey the afternoon before and had only to don a gown, Gabriel murmuring close to her ear after nuzzling her so tenderly that Euna waited out in the hall to help her.
“Play the lunatic for a while longer, Maggie. Not the wild one, but the docile one—will you? I want tae see when we arrive at your brother’s if I have friends at all among his people. That will tell me much…”
He hadn’t said anything more, but kissed her so passionately that any cobwebs from sleeping so soundly had vanished in an instant. Magdalene had felt breathless when he left her side and called Euna into the room.
If the maidservant had gleaned that anything was different, Euna had said nothing, though her pale eyes had grown round when Magdalene had climbed out of bed.
Hers had widened, too, at the scarlet blood stains on the sheet, a blush blazing her cheeks as she had rushed to the basin to wash herself and then dress as quickly as she could.
Magdalene closed her eyes, her face burning now just to think of it again…the miracle of what had happened between her and Gabriel last night never far from her mind.
Those blood stains meant she was no virgin bride any longer, but fully a wife to him.
Alovedwife, aye, she had felt it as surely as she breathed, his last glance telling her as much as he had picked up the bag with her belongings and strode from their bedchamber.
Theirbedchamber. Not just hers any longer, Magdalene shivering at the joy rippling through her even as Gabriel’s arms tightened around her.
Love and trust and forgiveness had washed over them like a balm from heaven, everything changed between them though they’d had little chance to speak to each other.
She wanted so desperately to tell him all…to explain herself and ask him how he had discovered that she wasn’t mad—aye, and to ask him at last about the MacLachlan family curse. Donella and Euna had never spoken of it again and she hadn’t dared to press them for fear of compromising her ruse, but now he could tell her about it, surely.
She wasn’t frightened. Gabriel would protect her from danger and guard her with his life, Magdalene was certain of it. Yet if there was anything to temper her happiness—
